Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-01-20
BONAPARTE.
,,.roIeon the First "a Desperate Adventur-
or. who Played for Empire With
Loaded Dice.

have lust come from one of my
-;1,ts 10 the tomb of Napoleon, writes
Harry Watterson to the C0urter-Joar-
hi # is altogether the most beautl-
r., and at the same time the most i'm
nosing sepulcher in the world. The
fParconhacus. of the richest porphyry,
Stands in lowered crypt, or vestibule,
or basin, and. instead of looking up,
vou look down upon it The canopy,
erected in the Hotel des lnvalides to
inease this patriotic and martial
shrine. is magnificent, surprising any
thing of the kind known to ancient or
modern times 1t is connected with the
Great chapel of this home for the old
and disabled soldiers of France, and
hos within it lesser chapels and inches,
which contain other monuments and
tombs that to the great Bonaparte oc-
cnpyine the rotunda beneath the dome.
Snbdued light from many-colored
stained-olass windows tittingly illumin-
ates the place, effigies in gold and
marble decorate it, and, from massive
altar Of precious stones and metals,
death seems to smile upon life.
To my mind Napoleon Bonaparte ex-
ISIS as a type of all that is wicked and
monstrous in human nature and destiny;
an arch-fend, with frenzed gift of
military ambition and genius; and in
no sense worthy of such temple. 1t
could find. indeed, no adequate reason
for being, except that it stands not
alone as a monument to famous war
rior. but also as II symbol of national
pride and glory. Illogical as it may
be, and unchristian, yet as long rs
might can force its way against right,
| suppose men and women will con-
tinuc 10 fall down and worship mere
prowess
Bouaparte was not a statesman and
he was not patriot He was not even
a Frenchman. He was vulgar for
eion adyenturer, who had discovered a
new trick of war, precisely as a gambler
miuht discover a new trick of cheating,
and. greatly favored by fortune. he
PLAYED his marked cards successfully
until they We're revealed to other ex-
perts and began to be played back
upon him, when down he went, like
any other charlatan. lie had neither
the self-restraints of great character
nor the sagacty of great intellect.
That he was, personally, a coarse, vain
glorious bully and egotist we have
abundant testimony for believing. and
none to the contrary; and, though he
has lain IN this gorgeous mausoleum
less than half a century, and, though
the land is full of memorials which he
caused to be erected in his honor, no in
fluence of his can be found which is not
distinctly 4 curse. He founded neither
n system nor dynasty. The code to
which he attached his name was none
Of his. The one successor, bearing that
name, who followed him upon the
throne, was not a Bonaparte at all, but
VIGOROUSLY the illegitimate son of 4
Dutch admiral by Hortense, the daugh-
ter of Josephine, whose case in equity
was thus at last made good. Even in
this direction, however, the line was
stopped; and there is about as much
Likelihood of the son of Plon Plon wear
ing the imperial purple as Of The statue
| upon the Coiome Vendome descending
| from its elevation and taking the reins
i of power.
The one titled race in France meaner
Y than the Bonapartes Orleans fam
4 ily-are in an equally poor way of re-
covering their lost supremacy; so that
whatever may have been the past of
, french history, the future, under the
4 republic, begins to wear tolerably
4 hopeful aspect. The only part of the
population who would, if they could,
restore monarchical government are the
Oh no Ahe Il
4 OF Paris, with whom prosperity and de-
4 bauchcry are more or less synonymous
terms. The mass and the body OF the
people are republicans.
But, to return to the first Napoleon.
4 He came to Paris when old things were
d passing away, and where, amid the
universal shipwreck, great opportunities
4 presented themselves to uncalculating
q lnhepidity. OF this the young Corsican
4 had abundance. Throughout his entire
u career he showed an astounding lack
q OF reflection and forecast He was
N daring and self-confident, interchangeable
and resolute, unprncipled and incon-
Sloerate. That he was a born soldier
there can be no doubt; and TO the usual
VI retnue OF brilliant soldlerly qualities,
RI such as decision and dash, magnetism
81 and enthusiasm, he united the genius of
Nj disooverer, or an inventor He had
ri worked out of his inner consciousness a
81 new theory in the science of field opera
# tons.
81 All that was wanting to develop this
n was q command. The minister of war
81 mad a mistress of whom he was tired.
q one was pretty and sprightly, and Ma
a poieon fell in love with her, and, being
81 wiling to marry her, got the army of
M italy as her dover. The highway to
N fortune was accordingly opened to him.
81 ana by the application of his original
81 arr OF war victory after victory was
achieved; he rose to the head of affairs,
ne captured the revolutions; he erected
a upon the ashes of the old monarchy an
81 empire far echpsing it in glory, sending
1ue alssensions of the national assembly
81 anu the horrors of the reign of terror to
rle rear and bringing to the front q
martial spirit which made the people
01e again and bore down all before it.
bf1uzn cannon rOared;